Does Windows 7 return customization to the forefront?
By Brad Wardell, 18 November 2009 - 15:32 35 comments
For years it seemed like every new application and operating system was touting its "skinning" capabilities. Then, abruptly, this trend stopped with the release of Windows Vista as developers began to return to providing a more consistent experience for PC users.
To new visitors of Neowin, having a front page story on skinning might seem unusual. Yet, Neowin got its start largely tracking skinning technology back in the run-up to "Whistler" (what became known as Windows XP). Neowin and its users have long tracked the ebb and flow in the popularity of skinning.
At one time, Neowin contained a side-bar dedicated to customization sites and the skinning forums on Neowin were the most popular. Windows Vista and more specifically Aero (the name for the user interface present in Windows Vista and Windows 7) made Windows look nice enough on its own that skinning and customization programs fell out of favor.
Part of the problem is that many of the the skins for these customization programs were either ugly, could affect performance for some people, or showed incompatibilities with lesser known programs. In the age of Windows XP, users tolerated these issues. With Windows Vista and now 7, the drawbacks are no longer worth the benefits that these programs offered.
While programs like Object Desktop, Winamp, Firefox skins, Google Chrome skins, and so forth remain popular, there is no doubt that the skinning features of these programs are no longer major competitive features. Media Player 12 still technically has skins but it no longer comes with any.
That isn't to say that users don't use skins anymore. Sites like WinCustomize.com and deviantART continue to attract millions of monthly visitors. However, I think it is safe to say that skinning, that was once on the verge of becoming ubiquitous has returned to being the niche once was.
Does this mean that customization is over for Windows users? Developers such as Stardock (full disclosure: I work there in addition to Neowin) believe that customization needs to evolve with the times. This month, it released next-generation versions of two of its most popular desktop customization programs that put that question to the test.
DeskScapes 3, as we reported last week, gives Windows users the ability to play animated wallpapers. But unlike previous versions, it also enhances existing "static" wallpapers. In essence, all those Photoshop effects users might play with to tweak images to be proper desktop backgrounds are part of the program (except that it works on the image in memory rather than changing the actual file). A host other features have been added that are designed to "customize" what is already there rather than replace (i.e. skin). See a video example here.
Yesterday, WindowBlinds 7 was released. Unlike every previous version of WindowBlinds, version 7 doesn't focus on providing ever fancier skinning options but rather includes a new option to skin Aero itself. Or more accurately, to customize Aero beyond what the OS provides as well as customizing existing skins (adding textures and color mixing and such) so that users aren't spending all their time hunting for a "visual style" they like and instead tweaking the ones they already like.
This video on our partner site, WinCustomize.com helps give the Neowin perspective on the matter.
The challenge skinners and skin program developers alike are likely to face in the age of Windows 7 is whether users want to replace (skin) their programs or whether they are looking for tools to simply enhance/customize what they already have. Of course, like always, most users won't even change the default desktop background or color - life for those users will continue as it always has.
View: Neowin: Customizing Windows 7 forum View: Neowin: Skinning forum View: Neowin: WindowBlinds forum
Comments (35)
iamwhoiam - 18 November 2009 - 16:16
I'm not bashing here, but apparently you didn't take a long hard look at a few of those skins in that WB7 video, or the vast majority of the hideous skins that are all over WinCustomize, and even more of a problem, they'll be ported to WB7.
You should have made a proprietary skin format and hired professional designers to make the skins, considering some are charged for.
I used to run WB on XP, with a somewhat nice skin, before I found the Royale theme that Microsoft put out, and ditched WB. I didn't use skinning software on Vista because I didn't use it that long (9 months). I feel no need to use 3rd party programs and/or skins on 7, because for the 1st time, IMO, Windows actually looks nice out of the box. I'd hate to see the desktop threads if skinning 7 takes hold.
+warwagon - 18 November 2009 - 16:17
For a second I Thought you were talking about the Security Essentials engine.
Ci7 - 18 November 2009 - 19:18
i too came here thinking about SE/Ff engine
tuxplorer - 18 November 2009 - 16:25
"Customization" isn't only about skins and look and feel but things like PowerToys and TweakUI. Windows 7 (especially the shell, Windows Explorer) simply doesn't offer the level of customization that XP did.
tereshchenko - 18 November 2009 - 16:30
I recently upgraded from XP to Windows 7 and for the first time I don't feel like customizing look of applications at all! W7 is good enough for me on its own.
ir0nw0lf - 18 November 2009 - 16:46
The lack of the "classic" start menu mode out of the box seems to be a big bummer to several of my customers.
Frylock86 - 18 November 2009 - 17:03
I seriously fail to understand why people are upset at the lack of a classic start menu. The new layout, even in classic mode, provides more functionality, and takes all of five minutes to learn.
hotdog963al - 18 November 2009 - 18:39
More importantly the lack of icons on the right hand side of start menu. In XP I can instantly see what everything is at a glance... in Vista and 7, I have to read the labels. Hovering over the label to see the icon defeats the point of icons in the first place.
It's a tiny time waster, but there was no need to create it.
Billus - 18 November 2009 - 20:17
You just type in the program you looking for in the search box, can't be to difficult can it. Far better than the classical menu where it took ages to find the application your looking for. Since Vista, my desktop isn't cluttered with a tonload of icons which I never used.
Tim Dawg - 18 November 2009 - 20:18
I agree with Frylock86. I can't stand the classic start menu. The new start menu was a pain to get used to but once you adopt it, you'll find its much easier and quicker to do things. I love the last used programs list. I always choose to show 15 programs and use small icons. I rarely ever need to even go into my "All Programs" menu. Turn on your administrative tools and change control panel to menu and you're flying.
Tekzel - 19 November 2009 - 19:22
I wanted to chime in here and express my utter fascination that ANYONE would want to revert to the classic start menu from Windows 7s. It is just superior in every way possible to the prior start menus.
Tekzel - 19 November 2009 - 19:24
Hell, why bother with that? I just hit the winkey, type in part of the control panel function I want, arrow down once or twice and press enter. No mouse even necessary, and a gazillion times faster than any other method.
ajua - 18 November 2009 - 16:47
This article began well. Talking about overall and streamlined experience for applications is important now.
It was meant to talk about Starsock apps, which isn't wrong by any means, but it would be nice if Neowin implemented some sort of "paid-for" reviews or articles. And letting us now, that is.
I think that even with the vast amount of skins, themes, etc the user is more driven by consistent visual elements among windows or applications.
Frogboy - 18 November 2009 - 16:58
It was meant to talk about Starsock apps, which isn't wrong by any means, but it would be nice if Neowin implemented some sort of "paid-for" reviews or articles. And letting us now, that is.
I think that even with the vast amount of skins, themes, etc the user is more driven by consistent visual elements among windows or applications.
Stardock is the largest owner of Neowin. I work at Stardock. Obviously, articles that are of interest to us are going to tend to get coverage.
In addition, customization is where Neowin got its start. In the "old days" articles on skinning and such were the norm. It's only in the last few years, particularly since the release of Aero for the reasons others have stated.
The article is an attempt to talk about whether skinning is still even relevant with Windows 7 and to show how programs that traditionally "skinned" in the past have moved to a different strategy and question whether that strategy will succeed or not.
stgeorge - 18 November 2009 - 17:37
Stardock is the largest owner of Neowin. I work at Stardock. Obviously, articles that are of interest to us are going to tend to get coverage.
In addition, customization is where Neowin got its start. In the "old days" articles on skinning and such were the norm. It's only in the last few years, particularly since the release of Aero for the reasons others have stated.
The article is an attempt to talk about whether skinning is still even relevant with Windows 7 and to show how programs that traditionally "skinned" in the past have moved to a different strategy and question whether that strategy will succeed or not.
It's your site, so you can do what you want with it and I'm not looking to start any trouble, but you don't just "work at Stardock" you own Stardock and therefore I guess you own Neowin.net. Just don't forget why people come to Neowin.net, that's all.
dead.cell - 18 November 2009 - 18:18
It was meant to talk about Starsock apps, which isn't wrong by any means, but it would be nice if Neowin implemented some sort of "paid-for" reviews or articles. And letting us now, that is.
I think that even with the vast amount of skins, themes, etc the user is more driven by consistent visual elements among windows or applications.
Sorta like pulling a "Bel-Air" from under ya, eh? :P
Growled - 19 November 2009 - 00:29
I use to be into skinning back in the day but for whatever reason that doesn't bother me as much anymore. I'll change the wallpaper but Aero is cool enough that I don't bother going any further. So from my perspective, skinning is not relevant.
duneworld - 18 November 2009 - 16:48
Atm the only thing I want a skin for in Win 7 is WMP12. Unfortunately none of the ones provided on their site is very good looking (to me anyway), and I haven't been able to find any on deviantART.
And themes still appeal to me in firefox.
KaneHusky - 18 November 2009 - 16:56
WindowBlinds lost my support with the lack of customization available in Vista; I've since moved to Windows 7 and I don't feel the need to lag the system down with 3rd party skinning since the UI looks pretty good as is. Honestly, WindowBlinds 7 looks like it's just a fancy way to add backgrounds and colors to the existing UI.
Donkey88 - 18 November 2009 - 17:08
As alluded to in other posts, I don't really think it's the programs that aren't any good, or any particular dip in quality of skins (most have been rubbish for years), it's the fact that Windows 7 just looks nice anyway. You can customise the colour if you want and really that's all you need to do with it.
In answer to the article's question, 'are these new programs the answer' I would have to say no. That's not because they are bad programs, they just are programs that now are redundant.